Hot Topics:

Internal reform suggested for York City Schools financial recovery

By ANGIE MASON Daily Record/Sunday News

Updated:
05/02/2013 10:51:27 PM EDT

York City School District's chief recovery officer proposed a plan Thursday that will give the district a chance to reform from within, while setting accountability measures to ensure that change happens.

David Meckley opted for a model of internal reform rather than a proposal to convert all schools into charters. He presented an executive summary of the proposed plan at an advisory committee meeting, calling it a "call to action" for all those with a stake in the district.

Committee members had rated the two proposed plans over the weekend, and 15 of 19 indicated a preference for the internal plan.

Meckley noted that both of the plans could have accomplished what the recovery plan is aiming for in terms of education and financial stability. But, he said, he is recommending a plan based on the idea that "the collective internal staff can and will transform the district."

The proposed reform plan includes accountability and measurable performance standards that, if not met over time, could lead to remediation, and if that doesn't work, could result in outside operators being sought to take over individual schools.

The starting point would be current performance and the plan would seek reasonable progress, he said. But the research gathered for the committee showed there are schools with York's demographics that have figured out how to accelerate improvement, he said.

The plan includes creating a community education council, which would operate at a district level, as well as school advisory councils, which would be based at individual schools and be made up mostly of parents of children attending there.

The internal proposal contained many elements, and Meckley said all weren't included in the summary - for example, magnet programs. He said the idea is to be careful about what's selected.

"Let's be smart about what we're doing," he said. "Let's make sure it impacts performance for the benefit of our kids." He said later that doesn't mean any of those ideas are off the table.

The community education council would work cooperatively with the school board, he said, and the school board's authority would remain intact.

Meckley also included an idea that wasn't in the district's proposal called the "cornerstone program," aimed at finding a better way to address discipline in schools.

Meckley gave credit to the teachers' union for be willing to talk about ideas and said he looks forward to continuing to work with them.

Financially, the internal proposal hinged largely on proposed wage and benefit concessions from the district's unions, which members will vote on later. A consultant had said that under any reform plan, the district would need to draw students back from charters.

Bruce Riek, president of the city teachers' union, thanked the committee for its work. He said teachers are the one group that has tried to provide consistency for city students.

"Thank you for believing in us. We stay because we care," Riek said.

After the meeting, Loren Kroh, chairman of YorkCounts, said that education work group's 100 percent charter proposal was a "good faith" recommendation and may have served the purpose of "being a catalyst and perhaps a wakeup call."

He said the future is still "less than crystal clear," noting large concessions are needed from employees and parents need to be involved.

District Supt. Deborah Wortham said the internal plan showed collaboration among district officials and teachers. Teachers put their best ideas into the proposal, and they agreed to include the accountability measure, she said.

"Do we need to take the plan and do it with fidelity? You bet," she said. "The skills and talent ... it's right here in this district."

Timeline

David Meckley, chief recovery officer for the York City School District, offered a summary of his proposed financial recovery plan Thursday night. Here's a look at what happens next.

May 10: Final date that David Meckley, will take comments - both from the public and from the committee, which just received the plan Thursday.

May 15: The recovery plan will be presented to the school board.

June 19: The school board will vote on the plan.

Meckley said the executive summary draft will be posted on the financial recovery website, but it had not been posted as of 10 p.m. Thursday. The website is www.ycsdrecoveryplan.org.

NEW YORK (AP) — Viewers said farewell to Amy Poehler and the gang of Pawnee, Indiana, bureaucrats on NBC's "Parks and Recreation," in a finale that made more of a dent online than on television. Full Story